Washington, Mar 10: As part of a breakthrough in human genetics, Netherlands scientists can now predict with 90 percent accuracy if a person has blue or brown eyes by analysing DNA from only 6 different positions of the genome.

Manfred Kayser of the Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam led the study.

Human eye colour, which is determined by the extent and type of pigmentation on the eye''s iris, is what geneticists call a ''complex trait''. This means that several genes control, which colour the eyes, will ultimately have.

Washington, Mar 10: A new study, led by Lobke Vaanholt (University of Groningen, The Netherlands), has cast significant doubt on the theory that a higher metabolism means a shorter lifespan.

In the study, the researchers found that mice with increased metabolism live just as long as those with slower metabolic rates.

The theory that fast-living animals die young, known as the rate-of-living theory, was first proposed in the 1920s.

The faster you expend energy, the faster you age, and the sooner you die. It remained a prominent theory of aging until recently, when comparisons across broad animal groups cast doubt on it.

Washington, March 9: Scientists have achieved a significant success in using stem cells to replace stroke-damaged tissue in rats.

Led by Dr Mike Modo of King''s College London, the research project was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The study conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry and University of Nottingham has shown that by inserting tiny scaffolding with stem cells attached, it is possible to fill a hole left by stroke damage with brand new brain tissue within seven days.

Previous experiments, where stem cells have been injected into the void left by stroke damage, have had some success in improving outcomes in rats.

Recent study revealed that strained marriage affects health of women more adversely as compared to men. Research team led by Nancy Henry of the University of Utah analyzed data collected from 276 couples who had been married for an average of 20 years in which men and women aged between 40 and 70 years.

Study subjects filled questionnaires having various question related to their martial life and relationship. Researchers also carried out medical screening that included blood tests and measurements of blood pressure and waist circumference.

As they say, "it's all in the mind". Probably this is what led some Canadian university researchers to study the brains of people who are religious and those who aren't to find out the truth behind this saying.

"This is the first set of studies connecting individual differences in religious conviction to basic (brain) processes," say authors Michael Inzlicht and Ian McGregor, psychology professors at the University of Toronto and York University, respectively.

After its review of the popular over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) arrived at the conclusion that there was “no robust evidence that these medicines work” in children below 12 years of age.